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In addition we are trying to pillory the Vietnamese publi cly. The Lord Privy Seal has made a strong speech and material to show up Vietnamese actions is being collected and disseminated.
4. But we are dealing with one of the most ruthless of communist regimes with no respect for human life or world opinion. We cannot be optimistic that our efforts will have any success at least in any reasonable timescale.
5. We cannot therefore neglect objective b. To this end the Prime Minister has urged the Secretary General of the United Nations to call a special conference and we are doing our best to drum up support for this. But Dr Waldheim is already talking about the need for proper preparation and the Vietnamese and their allies, will doubt- less do all they can to frustrate the conference. There is also the danger that if we press objective a. too hard the Conference will end in deadlock and objective b. may not be attained. So we must tread carefully.
6. We cannot, however, wait for the conference and have started a series of strong representations to other countries to take more refugees, concentrating on the Scandinavians and the Latin Americans. We shall do our best to complete the current round this week.
7. But as the attached article from this week's Economist points out, we are not in a very favourable position to put pressure on others. In comparative terms we have not taken all that many refugees. We have naturally argued our difficulties in the light of our obligations to dependents of immigrants, the large immigrant population already here unemployment, lack of housing and financial resources. But other countries can and do make out similar cases which they consider equally valid.
8. Unlike other European countries we have a direct responsibility through Hong Kong. Hong Kong is saturated and refugees are existing in deplorable conditions. Serious epidemics, eg cholera, could break out at any time. The Hong Kong Government is doing its best and cannot be blamed for this situation. The British response is regarded in Hong Kong as reluctant and niggardly. Feelings are
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